Marabout

In the Maghreb and West Africa, a marabout is a holy man or Muslim religious teacher; the word comes from the Arabic murābiṭ. In France, it mainly refers to practitioners who distribute flyers and ads promising to bring back a lost love, lift curses, or deliver luck or success. This second use is overwhelmingly associated with scams: guaranteed results, repeated payments, threats. These ads should not be confused with the religious tradition the word comes from.